Diabetes Services and Education

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a common disease affecting 29.1 million people in the United States. It affects all ages and all races. Ninety percent of the diabetes population have type 2 diabetes which is usually diagnosed after the age of 45 years. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 10% of the diabetes population. Approximately 1.25 million American children and adults have type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. It usually goes away after birth. Both the mother and child are predisposed to type 2 diabetes sometime during their lifetime.

Unfortunately, only 21 million people know they have diabetes. Diabetes often goes undiagnosed and it is believed that over 8 million Americans have undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes is the 7th major cause of death in the USA. It is called the head to toe disease since it can affect all major organ systems of the human body. Diabetes complications include heart disease, stroke, blindness and other eye problems, kidney disease and amputations.

Diabetes can be Controlled

The secret to living successfully with diabetes is education

North Canyon Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Program is recognized by the American Diabetes Associations for providing people quality diabetes education. Our program has met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education since 2000.

As certified diabetes educators (CDE), we strive to give our clients tools and strategies to successfully control their diabetes, care for their health and live life to the fullest with this chronic disease. If you are newly diagnosed or have had the disease for many years and need some help controlling blood sugars, we are here to help.

Sessions are usually one on one, client and educator, individualized to each client. The program works on a referral basis from your primary diabetes provider or you are welcome to call and self-enroll. The diabetes educator will then work to obtain needed referrals. Referrals are needed so that insurances can be billed for services thus reducing the cost to the client. Diabetes services are covered under most insurance carriers.

We aim to treat all aspects of diabetes, which includes:

Healthy Eating

Having diabetes does not mean you have to give up your favorite foods or stop eating in restaurants. In fact, there is nothing you can’t eat. But you need to know that the foods you eat affect your blood sugar. It is important to eat regular meals and consider the amount you eat and make food choices to help control your diabetes better. Controlling blood sugars help to prevent other health problems. Diabetes Educators can help you learn more about:

✓ Counting Carbohydrates

✓ Reading food labels

✓ Understanding portion control

✓ Develop a meal plan

✓ Prevent high or low blood sugars

✓ Set goals for healthy eating

Being Active

Being active is an important part of being healthy. Sure, it helps you to lose weight, but it does more than that. It gets your heart rate up, burns calories and strengthens your muscles and bones. As a result, being active:

✓ Lowers blood sugars

✓ Lowers cholesterol

✓ Improves blood pressure

✓ Lowers stress and anxiety

✓ Improves mood

Diabetes educators can help you develop a personal exercise plan that is enjoyable to do and that will help to improve your blood sugars.

Taking Medication

Like many people with diabetes, you may need to take medication to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) level steady. Diabetes increases your risk for other health conditions, such as heart or kidney related problems, so you may need to take medicine to help with those, too. Medications you may need to take for your diabetes include:

✓ Insulin, a hormone that helps your body use or store the food (carbs) you eat for energy

✓ Medications that help your body release or use insulin better

✓ Anti-hypertensives, which lower blood pressure

✓ Statins, which lower cholesterol

✓ Aspirin, which lowers your risk of heart attack

✓ Vaccinations, including influenza and pneumonia, which help you stay healthy

A diabetes educator can play an important role in helping you with your medicines. They work
as a liaison between you and your physician in helping to adjust your medications and improve
diabetes outcomes.

Monitoring

You need to monitor your blood sugar to see if you are within your target goals. Monitoring helps you make choices in eating and being active so your body can perform at its best. By regularly monitoring, you can quickly find out if your blood sugar is too high or too low, get it on track and prevent long-term health problems.

A diabetes educator can help you by:

✓ Provide guidance in purchasing a home glucose meter

✓ Showing how to use a glucometer (Home blood sugars meter)

✓ Offering tips for best/easiest way to test

✓ Explaining how to check your blood sugars

✓ Understanding what the numbers mean

✓ Making decisions about what to do if your numbers are not in range

✓ Teaching you how to record your results and use them over time

Problem Solving

When you have diabetes, you learn to plan ahead so you can maintain blood sugar levels within your target range goals – not too high, not too low. That means figuring out when and what you will eat for meals and snacks, when you will monitor blood sugar and how to fit in exercise.

But life often throws curve balls, and no matter how well you plan, unexpected things happen that can drive your blood sugar in the wrong direction. When it happens – because it will – you need to know how to problem-solve and think through how to prevent it from happening again. Also, your diabetes needs may change over time, requiring you to make adjustments because previous solutions may no longer work.

Diabetes educators can help you figure out how to problem solve – in general and for specific issues you may be facing.

Reducing Risks

Taking control of your diabetes will help you head off the complications that can come with it. You can reduce your risk of heart attacks, stroke, damage to your kidneys and nerves, and loss of vision by keeping your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure in check.

A diabetes educator can help you. They’ll work with you to find the best ways to eat healthy, be active, monitor your blood sugar, take medication, solve problems and cope in a healthy way.

Healthy Coping

Life is filled with stress. There’s the daily kind (traffic!), and there are also more serious issues such as divorce or money problems. Add in the challenges of managing diabetes, and stress sometimes can feel overwhelming. It’s important to find healthy ways to cope. Having a lot of stress can increase your blood sugar levels, make you feel more negative and may lead to bad decisions.

The good news is there are many healthy ways to cope with stress. A diabetes educator will help you find healthy ways to cope that work with your lifestyle.

Sessions are usually one on one, client and educator, individualized to each client. The program works on a referral basis from your primary diabetes provider or you are welcome to call and self-enroll. The diabetes educator will then work to obtain needed referrals. Referrals are needed so that insurances can be billed for services thus reducing the cost to the client. Diabetes services are covered under most insurance carriers.

New Service Line – Continual Glucose Monitoring at NCMC (CGM)

We are happy to announce the Diabetes Education Program has some of the newest technology in Diabetes Care. The Dexcom G4 is a continuous glucose monitoring system that shows real-time continuous senor glucose reading every 5 minutes for up to 7 days. Theses reading can help find trends and patterns in glucose levels, allowing the wearer to see where their glucose levels have been, which direction they are headed, and how fast they are rising or falling.

The Dexcom G4 is great tool to use when tighter diabetes control is desired.

If you are interested in CGM testing with the Dexcom G4 give the staff a call at the Diabetes office. We’ll be happy to assist you.